Page 80 of Wicked Warlock
Fire exploded from the buildings just beside me and I ducked down under the flames. Glass shattered from the floors above and rained down on me. Unseelie warriors ran rampant through the streets. Two of them stood next to a car, examining it, looking in the windows and walking around it. Then one of them lifted a fist and smashed it down onto the top of the car, denting the hood and forcing the engine to drop out of the bottom. The other one laughed and picked up the car and crushed the front fender until it touched the trunk.
A blur ran up to them and stopped dead. Grayson stood there with his hair windblown and a wild smile on his face. He placed his hands on that chunk of car and shoved it right through the Unseelie’s chest. “This is my town, you bag of dicks.”
The other Unseelie took a step toward him, but Grayson planted his foot and kicked him square in the chest. Instead of the Unseelie falling back, Grayson’s foot went right through his chest and he had to wiggle his leg to kick off the creature. Once he freed himself, he turned toward the rest of us. “And where have you lot been? Taking the piss?”
Another explosion came from the building, and I flinched away. Catherine held up the scroll. “We had to get this.”
The sound of metal being bent filled the air, and Grayson hurried to Zinnia and grabbed her. “We gotta go. The rest of you follow.”
When I looked up, The London Eye wavered back and forth. Beckett and I took off running toward it, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Those bubble-like things clanged against the side of the metal frame and it started to tip toward the buildings surrounding it. Then, just as it was about to fall, wild vines wound around the metal frame. They pulled it back from the brink of destruction.
“My God. Tabi.”
We sprinted down the street and turned the corner next to the water. All of London held a red haze that I knew was Serrina keeping the civilians safe and unaware of what was happening. Water sloshed up the other side of The London Eye, and I swore to myself that I would never get on another Ferris wheel as long as I lived. Power or not. Beckett ran to Tabi’s side, and he threw out his arms. Blue smoke blasted up the side of the structure, holding it in place.
Overhead, Tuck flew low, dropping firebombs from his wings onto the Unseelie army. They marched through the street heading straight toward us. Penny joined my side, and we took up positions in front of Beckett and Tabi. Ophelia yanked her sword from behind her back and twirled it around. “Stabby-stab, motherfuckers.”
Cross ran past her. “Too slow.”
He ran toward the front line and at the last minute power shot from his hand and propelled him straight up into the air and into the middle of them all. He spun out with his swords slashing and stabbing everything in sight.
“I love him.” Ophelia sighed and grabbed a single bottle from her potion pack and threw it into the front line of the Unseelie. It exploded and turned three of the gray warriors to ash. She ran right through them and leapt behind Cross. They stood back-to-back, fighting as one.
A huge tiger ran across the army, leaping from one Unseelie to the next, using them as springboards while biting them and spitting out pieces of body parts. Penny gave me a single nod. Her emerald smoke seeped from her hands and thick black clouds rolled across the sky. Streaks of lightning forked out over the clouds. When she held out her hand, a blade fired from her palm like a semi-automatic weapon. Boom. Boom. Boom. They flew across the battle, hitting one warrior after another. The blades landed in the middle of chests, in the side of necks, and in their faces.
“Good aim.”
I flicked my wrist and pieces of the road lifted and rolled, creating a wave that knocked them all to the ground. I envisioned exactly what I wanted and huge boulders fell from the sky, crushing them to pieces. Then I spotted him there in the back of his army once more. He stood there, leaning against one of the buildings with his arms crossed and his legs crossed at the ankles. I gave Penny a nudge and opened a portal right next to me.
“Astrid, don’t!” Beckett called out to me but I had to.
I stepped through and I popped out right next to him. He grabbed his sword and held it to my throat. “You wish for death.”
“Drop your sword.” I laced my words with charm speak.
The sword clanked to the ground, and he chuckled as if entertained. “Powerful little warlock. I should’ve tried to imitate you. But who can deal with the drama of it all.”
“You need to leave this world.” I held my hand behind my back and summoned a dagger to my hand. I shot out my arm, aiming for the side of his neck.
“I like it here.” Nylore pulled a dagger from out of nowhere and blocked my assault.
“Yet you don’t fight. Why?” I turned and threw my power at him, knocking him back into the building.
He threw back his head, laughing. “Baby powers don’t deserve my time.”
The wall dented and dust rained down at him. A fireball shot from across the way and smacked into his side. Tuck stood there, tossing one up and down in his hand. He didn’t wait for Nylore to regain his balance. He fired one after another, again and again, knocking Nylore into the building. I reached up with my hand. I pulled it back down and the whole building collapsed on top of him. I stood there waiting for something to happen, waiting for him to emerge, but there was nothing. No movement.
“Stupid move… my queen.” Tuck arched an eyebrow at me. “We don’t go after the big bad by ourselves.”
I pressed my hand down and the fallen building shuddered and crushed to the ground even harder. “Seems to be working.”
The ground rumbled and I tried to hold my power on top of the building. Sweat beaded my head and my hands trembled. The muscles in my arms shook with the effort to hold him down. I was fighting a battle of wills. The building exploded outward, and I was throw back off my feet. I soared through the air high enough to see the top of The London Eye. My arms pinwheeled and panic assailed my body. Suddenly, my arms jerked up and heat covered my arms and upper body. When I looked up, Tuck had shifted back into a phoenix and caught me in mid-air. He flapped his wings and glided back down, dropping me right next to Beckett.
“What the hell were you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Anger rolled off him in waves and I felt each one smacking into me.
“I don’t know, but I get the feeling something else is going on.” I had to know what was happening.
“So you just thought you’d roll up and ask?” His voice rose and I felt his terror for me running through my own chest.
